IPL 2025: Hemang Badani makes a shocking revelation about Rishabh Pant’s exit from Delhi Capitals

Delhi Capitals (DC)‘ newly appointed head coach, Hemang Badani, has provided detailed insights into the circumstances surrounding Rishabh Pant’s departure from the franchise.

Most expensive player in IPL 2025: Rishabh Pant

Pant, one of the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) brightest stars, was picked up by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for a record-breaking sum of INR 27 crore during the IPL mega auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The move marked a significant moment in IPL history, as Pant became the most expensive player ever in the league. Despite Delhi exercising their right-to-match (RTM) option, the franchise ultimately decided not to continue bidding for their former captain, citing reasons tied to Pant’s ambitions and the auction dynamics.

New head coach Hemang Badani breaks silence

During an interview on Subramaniam Badrinath’s YouTube channel, Badani elaborated on why Capitals failed to retain their star wicketkeeper-batter. According to Badani, Pant was resolute in his desire to test his market value in the auction, a decision that took precedence over the franchise’s retention efforts. ” I think it’s the other way around. He wanted not to be retained. He said he wanted to to the auction and test the market,” Badani explained.

The coach revealed that extensive communication took place between Pant and the Delhi Capitals management in an attempt to retain him. “If you want to retain a player, both parties (the team and the player) have to agree on certain things. We tried talking to him, the management tried talking to him. There were a lot of phone calls and messages exchanged,” he added. Despite these efforts, Pant remained firm in his decision, believing he could command a higher value than the INR 18 crore cap placed on retained players.

Also READ: 3 players who can captain Delhi Capitals (DC) in the IPL 2025

A calculated move that paid off

Badani also suggested that Pant’s decision was not impulsive but a well-thought-out strategy based on his self-assessment and the dynamics of the auction.  Pant’s confidence in his market value was validated during the auction when LSG raised their bid to INR 27 crore, setting a new benchmark for IPL contracts. Badani acknowledged Pant’s reasoning and congratulated him on his historic signing.

“He said he wanted to go to the auction and test the mark. He said he had a feeling that there were chances he would get more money than the highest cap for retained player, which is ₹18 crore. And, at the end of the day, he felt he was worth more. And the market said the same thing. He got ₹27 crore. Good for him. He is a very good player. We will obviously miss him. But, life goes on,” Badani concluded.

A heartfelt farewell from Delhi Capitals

Following the auction, Parth Jindal, co-owner of Delhi Capitals, expressed his emotions over Pant’s departure in a heartfelt note shared on X. Jindal thanked Pant for his invaluable contributions to the team, both as a player and a captain, and expressed optimism about a potential reunion in the future. 

To Rishabh @RishabhPant17 you are and will always remain my younger brother – from the bottom of my heart I love you and I have tried everything to make sure you are happy and have treated you like my family. I am very sad to see you go and I am very emotional about it. You will…

— Parth Jindal (@ParthJindal11) November 26, 2024

Pant’s record-breaking deal naturally fueled speculation about the role of finances in his departure from Capitals. However, Pant himself took to social media to refute these claims. In response to a video where Sunil Gavaskar suggested that financial disagreements might have been a factor, Pant wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “My retention wasn’t about the money for sure that I can say.” This statement was an attempt to clear the air and shift the narrative away from monetary motives.

Also READ: Parth Jindal reveals Delhi Capitals (DC) captaincy candidates for IPL 2025